Orbán unexpectedly visits Kyiv - The Guardian

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (photo: Getty Images)

On Tuesday, July 2, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will make an unexpected visit to Kyiv, reports The Guardian.

Two sources from the publication in Budapest have informed that Orbán will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Advisor to the President's Office, Mykhailo Podoliak, declined to comment on the possible visit, but another source in Kyiv confirmed these plans. "Orbán is here tomorrow, unless there is a last-minute change," said the British edition's source.

One of the interlocutors in Budapest reported that the trip plans were made after lengthy negotiations regarding the rights of the Hungarian-speaking minority in Ukraine.

"It was a precondition for the meeting that the issue of nationality rights was resolved. In recent weeks, an agreement has been reached. They will be able to announce this as a success," said the Budapest source.

Hungary holds the presidency of the European Union from July 1 until the end of the current year and will be responsible for organizing the work of the EU Council.

Orban has criticized the negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU, which began on June 25 in Luxembourg. However, Budapest will not block the process as it did earlier, particularly due to issues concerning the Hungarian national minority.